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Abortion ban blocked by federal judge

Special to the Democrat

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked an Arkansas law that would ban abortion care starting at 12 weeks of pregnancy from taking effect. The judge issued the preliminary injunction from the bench following arguments in the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arkansas, and the Center for Reproductive Rights’ challenge to the ban.

“We have asked the court to stop this dangerous law from going into effect,” said Holly Dickson, legal director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “This law is aimed at allowing politicians to insert themselves into deeply personal and private medical care and decisions for which they should have no say.”

The law was passed in March when the Arkansas legislature overrode Gov. Mike Beebe’s veto. The ban is set to take effect on Aug. 16.

“This law is an extreme example of how lawmakers around the country are trying to limit a woman’s ability to make the best decision for herself and her family,” said Talcott Camp, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. “Far from safeguarding women’s health, these laws are designed with one purpose – to eliminate all access to abortion care.”

For more information, please visit: aclu.org/reproductive-freedom/beck-v-edwards